Zenobia Nicolaides Part One: Wands
by tldisme
Summary: Zenobia is a young, unknown member of the Order. In this story, things start to go terribly wrong for Zenobia when she receives the Elder Wand from Azkaban. Her wand begins to act funny, and she encounters an old enemy. READ TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS


"You must remember," says Dumbledore to me as we walk down the dark street. We are in a small Muggle town near the sea. I hear the waves crash down onto the rocky shore on my left. The fishy odor of it reaches my nose. I scrunch my face a bit.

"It will not be an easy task, but you will have to get it. The fate of our world will depend upon it. If it gets into the wrong hands, everything we have done will go to waste. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," I say, nodding my head. "Do not worry, but I have one question. Why not send in a more experienced member of the Order? Why me?"

A small break of silence fills my ears. I look over at the elderly man. He avoids my eyes.

"Am I being sent because it's bound to be a failed mission? Am I just a pawn? Albus, please, tell me."

He finally looks up at me, the usual sparkle that resides in his eyes has vanished. They are instead, replaced with the hollow, sad eyes of someone who has seen too much horror in their lives.

"We had to, Zenobia, we couldn't risk-"

"It's fine, I'm still going to do it, there is no need to worry."

A loud crack sounds and a man wearing black robes approaches us.

"Lumos," the man whispers.

Light glows from the tip of his wand, illuminating our faces. I instantly recognize his.

"Hello Severus." I say.

"Miss Nicolaides." he nods at me. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small flask

"You will need to be very lenient with this, in fact, do not use it at all if you can help it. This is only for an emergency."

He hands it to me.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." I say.

With a crack he disappears, a smile on his face. A smile, this mission must be hard if Severus actually smiled.

"You must go now." Dumbledore puts a hand on my shoulder. "Do not forget to believe."

I turn away and start to walk towards the ocean. I envision where I want to go in my mind and spin on my heels.

CRASH!

I move out of the way just before a huge wave hits the rocky shore. It sprays the bottoms of my jeans with the frigid liquid. I stumble back a bit, blinking the salty water from my eyes. It's so cold here, no wonder they keep prisoners here.

Looking up I see the huge black, triangular tower. It reaches into the sky and all around it are black figures.

Dementors.

I shudder.

Climbing up this rock isn't going to be easy. At least not in human form. I kneel down and place my wand and the flask on the ground. I prepare myself for what's next, but I stop myself. Well this is stupid, I would have no way to defend myself. Bending over, I pick up my things and start climbing up the black rock.

I am completely breathless by the time I reach the entrance.

Staring at it, I see that it is nothing but a wooden door. I push it open, and door groans in protest. Glancing inside, I see nothing but darkness.

"Lumos."

The stone walls of a narrow hallway shine wet with water. To my right, there is a spiraling stairway. To my left, the dark hall continues, but it appears to descend a bit more, going further into the rock. Remembering Dumbledore's instructions, I turn left. Nothing changes about the hall for a long time. I must have been walking for a few minutes before the hall breaks off into two different, more narrow halls. I take the one on the left, with stairs that head down.

At the bottom, torches full of orange flame line the tight corridor. I barely take a single step forwards before the ground beneath me, gives way. I catch onto the ledge, but doing so, I drop the flask.

"Accio flask!"

Instead of coming back up to me, it continues to fall.

My eyes widen. That potion can not get in the wrong hands. Taking in a deep breath, I let go, free falling into the dark pit below.

I pull myself into a plank shape and say:

"Accio flask!"

But it only falls.

Why wasn't my wand working?

I smack it a few times and yell, "Lumos."

It feebly glows a bit.

"Nox."

It extinguishes.

"Lumos Maxima!"

The tip of my wand illuminates just enough for me to see the outline of human skulls on the ground that was fast approaching.

I barely have time to think of extinguishing my wand before I scream out,

"Arresto Momentum!"

Squeezing my eyes shut, knowing this is the end. Is this what it feels like? A soft breeze, as if you are lightly falling.

Wait.

Lightly falling.

Opening my eyes, I see a grime covered skull inches from my face.

I scream again and fall that last bit, to the ground. I quickly push myself up and out of the bones, and run into another hallway. I don't bother to stop and think, I just run until my lungs burn. I keel over and retch a bit, but nothing comes out.

A loud roar comes from my right. Looking up I see a large room, lined with precious metals. Holding my wand steady, I enter.

THUD!

Spinning around, I see the a heavy steal door has been placed in front of the entrance.

"Fight the beast." says a smooth disembodied female voice.

"My wand is broken," I yell at it. "How am I supposed to fight?"

"Be creative." They say.

Just then, another loud roar sounds. Turning in the direction of it I see a small dragon. It can't be more than fifteen feet in length, covered with smooth, copper-coloured scales, with black ridge markings. Thinking back to my copy of 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them', I identify the dragon as a Peruvian Vipertooth. There was something about them, what was it?

"The Vipertooth will feed readily on goats and cows, but has such a liking for humans that the International Confederation of Wizards was forced to send in exterminators in the late nineteenth century to reduce the Vipertooth numbers,".

Oh jolly, the dragon doesn't only want to kill me, it has a motivation. It wants to eat me. And my wand doesn't really work. Great.

The dragon flys towards me breathing fire.

Crap, crap, crap, crap.

I jump off to the side, feeling the heat on my face.

Running over to the other side of the room, it chases me. I start grabbing things and throwing them in other directions, but it's eyes stay glued on me. Hold on, eyes, glued. Eyes glued shut! That's it! If it can't see me, then I can defeat it easier. I grip my wand a bit tighter, hoping it will work.

I whirl around and yell,

"Conjunctivitis!"

(Note: I'm not sure if that is the spell or not, it only said something about a Conjunctivitis Charm)

The Vipertooth let's out a pained screech and crashes onto the floor, impaling it's neck on a jagged bit of stone, coming out of the floor. It withers in its own blood for a moment before it lays still.

I did it.

"I did it!" I shout to the voice.

"I see." they say. "There is a door behind the painting, on the opposite side of the room. Open it, and you will meet me."

I jog over to a painting of a old wizard and his wife. Pushing off to the side, I see a wooden door.

As I open it, a small breeze blows my light blonde hair back a bit. When I enter, the door snaps shut. I look to my right and see it. The Elder Wand.

Before I go any further, I pick up a stone and roll it across the floor. It doesn't collapse. Phew.

Slowly, I approach the wand. It floats in a glass case, slowly spinning around. I go to grab, but I am stopped by a voice.

"It isn't that easy."

Looking to my right, I see a sphinx. Her eyes look like emeralds, glittering in the light. I raise my wand.

She grins.

"I will not hurt you. I can get you the wand, but only if you solve a riddle of mine. You will have one chance to answer. If you are correct, I will give you the wand. If you are wrong, I shall attack. You do have the option to leave, also."

"Tell me the riddle." I say.

"I change my colour, throughout the day, from dark and light. I may weep at times, from visitors of grey and white. And I am clear, but spotted at night. And I'm always invaded by some light. What am I?"

"Uh, could you say that again?"

"Yes." the sphinx repeats the riddle.

"'-always invaded by some light.' Hmm, some light. And all the time. Some light, some light, some light. Sunlight? No, that isn't my answer. Sunlight always fills... Earth? I don't know. Uh, 'clear but spotted at night'. Grey and white visitors, that make this thing weep. Um."

"Take your time." the sphinx says, laying down grooming her paws.

I think over it. What can be spotted, dark and light, and weeps because they are visited by grey and white? It changes colour during the day. A chameleon? No, that wouldn't be invaded with light. Um, sky? That could work! It changes colour, it um, it fills with clouds, that can be grey and white. And that's when it weeps, when it rains. And at night, the stars are out when the skies are clear! And the light, that would be the sun! Or the moon!

"I got it!" I say. The sphinx looks up at me.

"Well," she says. "What am I?"

"The sky."

She smiles.

"You are correct."

She walks over to the glass case. Raising her paw, she cuts the glass as if it was butter. The wand falls to the ground. She steps away from it. I grab the wand.

"Thank you. Could you tell how to get out of here?"

"Continue down this hall," she gestures to where she was standing before. "There will be a boat. Think of where you wish to go, and it will take you there. But you must keep your wits about you, for many Dementors will surround you, and attempt to Kiss you."

"Thanks."

I run down the hall, and not before long I reach a small wooden boat. Just as I step into it, a Dementor swoops down closeto me.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A white fox exits the tip of my wand, expelling the Dementor. Before anymore can come back I envision to where Dumbledore was talking to me before.

CRACK!

The bottom of the small boat cracks on the pavement. Dumbledore jumps a bit, looking shocked. I would be shocked too. You know, just waiting for someone and then, BAM, boat.

"Zenobia, are you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine." I say crawling out of the boat.

"Here's your wand, I'm never going back there again."

"Where's the potion?" sounds a voice behind me.

"What?" I spin around to see Severus.

"The potion, where is it?"

"Right here." I say, pulling it out of my pocket. "And I didn't use one bit. I could have used it against the dragon maybe-"

"A dragon?" Severus frowns.

"Ya, I have quite the story to tell you guys."

THE END

For now...


End file.
